Liquid soap mixer and dispenser for shower baths and the like

ABSTRACT

Mixing and dispensing shower head including a valve block having an inlet at one end connected with a supply pipe for clear water and having an axially aligned outlet at the opposite end having a spray shower nozzle extending therefrom. The valve block has a liquid soap container extending upwardly from its top with a passageway leading from the soap container to a soap diluting and mixing chamber within the valve block. A water chamber is also contained within the valve block and is supplied with water by a passageway connected with the inlet, and is connected with the soap-mixing chamber to admit water to dilute the soap in the soap-mixing chamber and effect the mixing of soap and water in the diluting and mixing chamber. A slide valve slidably extends through the valve body transversely of the inlet and outlet and controls the supply of soap to the soap chamber and has one passageway of a relatively large diameter leading diametrically therethrough for supplying clear or rinse water to the shower head, and a second diametral passageway of a smaller diameter providing the pressure drop to educt a mixture of soap and water from the soap-mixing chamber to the outlet of the valve. A metering valve has cooperation with the diametral liquid soap passageway in the slide valve to control the supply of liquid soap to the soap diluting and mixing chamber.

, United States Patent Vincent Vicari 8253 W. Maple, Norridge, lll.60656 [211 App]. No. 37,539-

[22] Filed May 115, 11970 [45] Patented Oct. 12, 19711 [72] Inventor[54] LIQUID SOAP MIXER AND DISPENSER FOR SHOWER BATHS AND THE LIKE 10Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

[52] 111.8. Cl 239/310, 239/3l7,239/379 [51] Int. Cl B05!) 7/26 [50]Field of Search 239/302,

Primary Examiner-M. Henson Wood, Jr. Assistant Examiner-Edwin D. GrantA!t0rneyl-lill, Shennan, Meroni, Gross & Simpson ABSTRACT: Mixing anddispensing shower head including a valve block having an inlet at oneend connected with a supply pipe for clear water and having an axiallyaligned outlet at the opposite end having a spray shower nozzleextending therefrom. The valve block has a liquid soap containerextending upwardly from its top with a passageway leading from the soapcontainer to a soap diluting and mixing chamber within the valve block.A water chamber is also contained within the valve block and is suppliedwith water by a passageway connected with the inlet, and is connectedwith the soap-mixing chamber to admit water to dilute the soap in thesoap-mixing chamber and effect the mixing of soap and water in thediluting and mixing chamber. A slide valve slidably extends through thevalve body transversely of the inlet and outlet and controls the supplyof soap to the soap chamber and has one passageway of a relatively largediameter leading diametrically therethrough for supplying clear or rinsewater to the shower head, and a second diametral passageway ofa smallerdiameter providing the pressure drop to educt a mixture of soap andwater from the soap-mixing chamber to the outlet of the valve. Ametering valve has cooperation with the diametral liquid soap passagewayin the slide valve to control the supply of liquid soap to the soapdiluting and mixingchamber,

LIQUID SOAP MIXER AND DISPENSER FOR SHOWER RATES AND THE LIKE BACKGROUNDAND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION Heretofore mixers have been provided forshower heads which mix liquid soap with water and supply a mixture ofsoap and water to the spray nozzle of the shower head. Such mixersusually directly aspirate liquid soap by the pressure drop of waterpassing to the shower head, with the result that the soap container isevacuated in a very short time. This results in an excessive use of soapand wasting of a large proportion of the soap.

The present invention has as its principal object to remedy theforegoing deficiencies and make it practical to mix soap and water andsupply a mixture of soap and water to a shower head by providing a soapand water mixing or diluting chamber in which liquid soap is metered tothe chamber by gravity and water flows to the chamber with little, ifany, pressure, and the mixture of soap and water is drawn into theoutlet passageway of the valve body for further mixing with water andspraying through the spray shower nozzle of the shower head.

A further object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide asimplified and efficient form of shower head, so arranged as to utilizea liquid soap, and supply a preselected economical mixture of liquidsoap and water, to be educted to the spray shower nozzle of the showerhead.

Another object of the invention is to provide an efficient andeconomical form of soap mixing and dispensing shower head, mixing liquidsoap and water by gravity, and selectively operable to enable the batherto select a mixture of soap and water for washing, or clear water forrinsing.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a soap mixer anddispenser forming an attachment for a shower head, in which liquid soappasses by gravity into a mixing chamber, clear water is mixed with theliquid soap under little, if any, pressure and a mixture of liquid soapand clear water is educted through the shower head to be further dilutedby water passing through the shower head.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a soap mixing anddispensing shower head selectively operable to dispense soapy or clearwater, and arranged with a view toward utmost simplicity in constructionand economical use of liquid soap.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be readilyapparent from the following description of a preferred embodimentthereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, althoughvariations and modifications may be effected without departing from thespirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a view in side elevation of ashower head constructed in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantiallyalong lines II-Il of FIG. I, with the selector valve shown in full.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along line III-- III ofFIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along lineIV-IV of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along line VVof FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a view in side elevation of the selector valve with certainparts broken away and certain other parts in section, in order toillustrate the metering valve, metering a supply of liquid soap to thesoap-mixing chamber.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF INVENTION In FIG. I of thedrawings, l have shown an outlet pipe 10 for a shower head II, which maybe connected with a supply of LII water for the shower through aconventional universal coupling (not shown). The soap mixing anddispensing shower head 11 includes a valve block 12 having an inlet I3(FIG. 2) threaded to have the inlet 10 threaded therein, and an axiallyaligned outlet 15 having a conventional shower nozzle 16 threadedtherein. A passageway 17 axially aligned with the inlet 13 and outlet 15extends longitudinally through the valve body and connects the inlet tothe outlet through a reduced diameter passageway I8 leadingdiametrically through a selector valve, shown as being a generallycylindrical slide valve 19.

The slide valve 19 is generally cylindrical in fonn. A large diameterpassageway 20 is spaced from passageway I8 and is parallel to and inhorizontal alignment therewith and leads diametrically through saidslide valve and registers with the passageway 17 to supply clear rinsewater through the spray shower nozzle. Suitable sealing means, such asO-rings 22, 22 are provided on opposite sides of the passageways l8 and20 and have sealing engagement with the interior wall of a cylindricalvalve chamber 23 extending transversely of the passageway 17. The slidevalve 19 also has a liquid soap passageway 24 spaced outwardly of thepassageways I8 and 20 on the outside of the O-rings 22 and leadingdiametrically through said valve, perpendicular to the passageways l8and 20. The liquid soap passageway 24 is movable into position toregister with a liquid soap passageway .25, leading downwardly of a soapcontainer 26 along a bracket 27 for said soap container, for supplyingliquid soap to the liquid soap passageway 24, by gravity.

The soap container 26 is disposed at an angle with respect to the top ofthe valve block 12 so that when the shower head 11 is in a normaldownwardly tilted position, a bottom 28 of the soap container will begenerally horizontal. The liquid soap in said soap container may thusdrain through a port 29 in the bottom 28, through the passageway 25,passageway 24 in the slide valve 19 to a soap diluting and mixingchamber 30, herein shown as being positioned along the bottom and at oneside of a valve block, but which may be positioned to extend along thebottom of the valve block, or in any suitable position where soap in thesoap container 26 will drain to the soap-mixing chamber 30 by gravity.

The slide valve 19 has a hollow interior portion 3I, extending axiallyalong said valve, from one end thereof into the soap passageway 24. Ametering pin 32 is threaded for a portion of its length and has areduced diameter valve pin 33 extending inwardly of the threaded portionof said metering pin. Said metering pin is threaded in the passageway orinterior portion 31 of the slide valve 19 in registry with thepassageway 24 and cooperates with said passageway 24 to regulate theamount of soap dropping by gravity into the soap diluting or mixingchamber 30. A knob 35 on the outer end of said metering pin is providedto move said metering valve axially, to control the flow of soap intothe soap-mixing chamber 30.

The slide valve 19 has a slot 36 extending axially therealong betweenthe O-rings 22. The slot 36 is engaged by a stop pin 37 having a head onthe outer end thereof and extending inwardly along the valve block fromthe bottom thereof into the valve chamber 23 and slot 36. ,The slot 36and stop pin 37 register the passageways 18 or 20 into position toregister with the passageway 117 leading from the inlet 13 to the outlet15, and also stop the valve body, with the passageway 24 in registrywith the liquid soap passageway 25 when the reduced diameter passageway18 is in registry with the passageway I7, in the soap-dispensingposition of the valve. The pin 37 and slot 36 also register thepassageway 20 with the water passageway 17, as the valve is positionedto supply rinse water through the shower head.

A water chamber 39 is provided in the valve body 12 toward and to oneside of the inlet 13 into said valve body and is separated from thesoap-mixing chamber 30 by a baffle 40. A passageway 41 in the bottom ofthe valve body leads around the baffle 40 and affords communication tothe soap-mixing chamber 30, for supplying water to be mixed with liquidsoap metered under gravity under the control of the metering valve 33.The water chamber 39 is supplied with water from the inlet 13 through arelatively small diameter passageway 43 leading from the inlet 13 intothe water chamber 39, through an interior wall thereof. An air bleedopening 44 leads into the water chamber 39 to the backwall thereof, tosupply air to said chamber and accommodate the water to flow freelythrough the passageway 41 into the soap diluting and mixing chamber Thesoap diluting and mixing chamber 30 has communication with thepassageway 17 on the downstream side of the slide valve 19 through apassageway 45. The pressure drop of water flowing through the reduceddiameter passageway 18, will thus supply the pressure to aspirate asolution of soap and water from the soap-mixing chamber 30, and supply amixture of soap and water through the shower nozzle 16.

As shown in FIGS. 2,4 and 5, the chamber 30 and the water chamber 39 areclosed by a side closure plate 46. When the passageway 18 in the slidevalve 19 is in registry with the passageway 17 leading through the valveblock from the inlet to the outlet, the passageway 24 in the slide valvewill be in registry with the port 29 and passageway 25 leadingdownwardly along the valve block, to accommodate liquid soap to flow bygravity into the soap-mixing chamber 30. Water in the water chamber 39will also flow into the soap-mixing chamber 30 through the passageway 41to dilute the soap to the required consistency, and the head of soap andwater will maintain the diluted soap solution at a level to flow throughthe passageway 45 into the passageway 17 and mix with clear waterentering the valve body through the inlet 13. The pressure drop of fluidpassing through the reduced diameter passageway 18 will further educt oraspirate the soap solution along the passageway 45 and effect thedischarge of soapy water through the shower spray nozzle 16.

The valve block 12, slide valve 19 and spray nozzle 16 may be made froma plastic material, which preferably may be a form of transparentplastic, such as a transparent nylon plastic. It should be understood,however, that the shower head need not be made from a transparentplastic but may be made from any other suitable plastic material, andmay be made from metal, if desired.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a diluter and dispenser for liquid soap and the like, and incombination with a shower bath having a spray shower nozzle,

a valve block adapted to be connected with a water supply pipe andhaving a first passageway leading therethrough adapted to supply waterto a shower spray nozzle,

a container for liquid soap extending from the top of said valve blockand having a port leading from the bottom thereof and havingcommunication with the interior of said valve block,

a soap diluting and mixing chamber in said valve block,

a valve extending transversely of said valve block and movable into oneposition to afford communication between said soap container and soapdiluting and mixing chamber and into another position to block thesupply of soap in said container to said mixing chamber,

a water chamber in said valve block, a passageway leading from saidfirst passageway into said water chamber, for supplying water thereto,

a communicating passageway between said water chamber and said soapdiluting and mixing chamber,

and a passageway from said soap diluting and mixing chamber to saidfirst passageway downstream of said valve, for supplying a mixture ofsoapy water to said first passageway to be ejected by the flow of waterthrough said first passageway to and through the spray shower nozzle ofsaid shower head.

2. The liquid soap dispenser and mixer of claim 1,

wherein the valve is movable into a first position to supply liquid soapto said diluting and mixing chamber and to accommodate water flowingthrough said first passageway ble to a second position to shut off thesupply of liquid soap to said mixing chamber and accommodate the flow ofclear water through said first passageway and shower spray nozzle.

3. The liquid soap dispenser and mixer of claim 1,

wherein the valve is a slide valve movable along said valve chamber inan axial direction and has two passageways of different diametersleading diametrically therethrough, and a third passageway spaced fromsaid two passageways and perpendicular thereto, and accommodating thesupply of soap to said soap-mixing chamber under gravity, and

wherein the valve is slidable into a first position to register thesmall diameter passageway with said first passageway and theperpendicular diametral passageway with said soap container and soapdiluting and mixing chamber, and into a second position to shut off thesupply of soap from said container and register said large diameterpassageway with said first passageway to supply clear rinse waterthrough the spray shower nozzle.

4. The liquid soap mixer and dispenser of claim 3,

wherein the slide valve is movable along a cylindrical valve chamberintersecting said first passageway and is sealed to said valve chamberon opposite sides of said first passageway and on the outer sides ofsaid diametral passageways, and

wherein stop means is provided to register a selected of saidpassageways with said first passageway and to limit the positioning ofthe valve into said first and second positions.

5. The soap mixer and dispenser of claim 3,

wherein a metering valve extends along said slide valve, to

meter the flow of fluid through said diametral passageway perpendicularto said two parallel diametral passageways extending through said slidevalve.

6. The soap mixer and dispenser of claim 2,

wherein the metering valve is in the form of a metering pin extendingalong said slide valve from one end thereof and movable into position torestrict the flow through said perpendicular passageway.

7. The soap mixer and dispenser of claim 1,

wherein an air bleed passageway leads from the exterior of said valvebody into said water chamber and a water passageway leads from saidinlet to said water chamber, and

wherein a passageway leads from said soap-mixing chamber to said firstpassageway, downstream of said slide valve to effect the drawing of amixture of soap and water from said soap diluting and mixing chamber bythe pressure drop of water passing through said small diameterpassageway to said first passageway.

8. The soap mixer and dispenser of claim 3,

wherein an air bleed passageway leads through said valve body into saidwater chamber, and the mixture of soap and water in said diluting andmixing chamber is maintained at a level to flow through said water anddiluting and mixing chamber.

9. The soap mixer and dispenser of claim 8, including a metering valvein said slide valve selectively operable to meter the flow of liquidsoap through said diametral passageway through said valve andperpendicular to said parallel passageways of different diameters.

10. The soap mixer and dispenser of claim 9, wherein the metering valveincludes a metering chamber extending axially along said slide valve andopening to one end thereof, and

a metering pin threaded in said metering chamber and having a meteringvalve end having metering cooperation with said soap passageway.

1. In a diluter and dispenser for liquid soap and the like, and incombination with a shower bath having a spray shower nozzle, a valveblock adapted to be connected with a water supply pipe and having afirst passageway leading therethrough adapted to supply water to ashower spray nozzle, a container for liquid soap extending from the topof said valve block and having a port leading from the bottom thereofand having communication with the interior of said valve block, a soapdiluting and mixing chamber in said valve block, a valve extendingtransversely of said valve block and movable into one position to affordcommunication between said soap container and soap diluting and mixingchamber and into another position to block the supply of soap in saidcontainer to said mixing chamber, a water chamber in said valve block, apassageway leading from said first passageway into said water chamber,for supplying water thereto, a communicating passageway between saidwater chamber and said soap diluting and mixing chamber, and apassageway from said soap diluting and mixing chamber to said firstpassageway downstream of said valve, for supplying a mixture of soapywater to said first passageway to be ejected by the flow of waterthrough said first passageway to and through the spray shower nozzle ofsaid shower head.
 2. The liquid soap dispenser and mixer of claim 1,wherein the valve is movable into a first position to supply liquid soapto said diluting and mixing chamber and to accommodate water flowingthrough said first passageway to draw a soap solution from said mixingchamber for discharge through said spray shower nozzle, and is movableto a second position to shut off the supply of liquid soap to saidmixing chamber and accommodate the flow of clear water through saidfirst passageway and shower spray nozzle.
 3. The liquid soap dispenserand mixer of claim 1, wherein the valve is a slide valve movable alongsaid valve chamber in an axial direction and has two passageways ofdifferent diameters leading diametrically therethrough, and a thirdpassageway spaced from said two passageways and perpendicular thereto,and accommodating the supply of soap to said soap-mixing chamber undergravity, and wherein the valve is slidable into a first position toregister the small diameter passageway with said first passageway andthe perpendicular diametral passageway with said soap container and soapdiluting and mixing chamber, and into a second position to shut off thesupply of soap from said container and register said large diameterpassageway with said first passageway to supply clear rinse waterthrough the spray shower nozzle.
 4. The liquid soap mixer and dispenserof claim 3, wherein the slide valve is movable along a cylindrical valvechamber intersecting said first passageway and is sealed to said valvechamber on opposite sides of said first passageway and on the outersides of said diametral passageways, and wherein stop means is providedto register a selected of said passageways with said first passagewayand to limit the positioning of the valve into said first and secondpositions.
 5. The soap mixer and dispenser of claim 3, wherein ametering valve extends along said slide valve, to meter the flow offluid through said diametral passageway perpendicular to said twoparallel diametral passageways extending through said slide valve. 6.The soap mixer and dispenser of claim 2, wherein the metering valve isin the form of a metering pin extending along said slide valve from oneend thereof and movable into position to restrict the flow through saidperpendicular passageway.
 7. The soap mixer and dispenser of claim 1,wherein an air bleed passageway leads from the exterior of said valvebody into said water chamber and a water passageway leads from saidinlet to said water chamber, and wherein a passageway leads from saidsoap-mixing chamber to said first passageway, downstream of said slidevalve to effect the drawing of a mixture of soap and water from saidsoap diluting and mixing chamber by the pressure drop of water passingthrough said small diameter passageway to said first passageway.
 8. Thesoap mixer and dispenser of claim 3, wherein an air bleed passagewayleads through said valve body into said water chamber, and the mixtureof soap and water in said diluting and mixing chamber is maintained at alevel to flow through said water and diluting and mixing chamber.
 9. Thesoap mixer and dispenser of claim 8, including a metering valve in saidslide valve selectively operable to meter the flow of liquid soapthrough said diametral passageway through said valve and perpendicularto said parallel passageways of different diameters.
 10. The soap mixerand dispenser of claim 9, wherein the metering valve includes a meteringchamber extending axially along said slide valve and opening to one endthereof, and a metering pin threaded in said metering chamber and havinga metering valve end having metering cooperation with said soappassageway.